A Hollow Remnant
by Xorn
Summary: Shirou Emiya finds himself in a world similar to his own, but with humanity on the ropes. Humankind has only a few settlements remaining as black beasts scour the world claiming it for themselves. He doesn't really remember how he got here; his head is a jumbled mess. But that doesn't really matter right now. From the beginning, Shirou's goal was simple: Save Everyone.
1. Chapter 1

**New story time, go!**

 **So yeah, this has been rattling around in my brain for months now. I've finally got the stuff that was keeping me from writing kind of sorted out so this is happening now. I've got things planned out pretty well, so hopefully updates can happen kind of regularly. Let's go.**

 **SPOILER WARNING: Fate/Stay Night (all routes), Hollow Ataraxia, Fate/Zero, and of course RWBY up to volume 3 are fair game for spoilers. You have been warned.**

* * *

 **PART 1: From Shadows**

* * *

 **Chapter 1**

I struggle with the chain wrapped around my arm, trying to unwind it so the King of Uruk could be swallowed by the grail. Dammit, for a king and a ridiculously powerful heroic spirit, this guy sure was being a sore loser.

"Dammit, are you trying to pull me in with you?" I shout angrily at the ancient king.

"As if I would allow myself to be killed here, mongrel! Now stay there until I pull myself out!" comes the bastard's reply.

Seriously, this guy…

"As if I'd let you! I'll cut my own arm off first!"

I don't particularly want to cut my own arm off, but I can't exactly stay put here much longer. I'm barely even standing at this point, after all. And, if I get pulled into that void… The grail would be able to use me as a substitute core. If it means saving the world, I'll gladly give an arm.

I hold out my right hand, my overused circuits flaring to life-

And then they cut off. Bakuya fails to form in my outstretched hand.

Ah. That's right. I ran out of mana. My magic circuits are completely dry. I try to draw on my contract with Tohsaka, only to find nothing on the other end. Seriously? Is she…?

I want to mourn, but there's no time to think about that now. First I have to stop this guy. But it looks like all options are closed to me.

Well, that's not quite right. There is still one option left to me. I concentrate, and a familiar feeling of steel being poured down my spine wracks my body with pain. My makeshift circuit, formed of my own nerves. It was pretty ironic, that after all of my progress in this war, I would fall back on my old, pathetic methods.

I can't project a blade. The only magecraft I can perform with this false circuit of mine is structural analysis and reinforcement. Projection is beyond me.

However, reinforcement is all I need.

Reinforcement is a delicate process. If too little mana is used, it will have no effect. If too much is used, the target of the reinforcement will detonate. With my lackluster circuit, it would be a matter of luck to be able to properly reinforce myself.

But, I don't need to do it right. I pump mana into my arm, heedless of the possibility of over-reinforcement. In fact, that's my goal. The amount of mana I'm pumping into my arm is more than enough to blow my arm off my body, letting Gilgamesh be pulled into the grail.

Then, suddenly, there's a popping noise from my back. It's not a loud noise, but it sounds deafening to me. There's a sharp pain in my spine.

I'm distinctly aware of all my injuries. Every part of my body burns, the pain of my magic circuits being overused. I've got dozens of scuffs and bruises covering my form. I can feel every inch of my frame, in pain.

So why can't I feel my legs?

I find myself falling, being dragged towards the hole from the grail. I need to stop myself, but I can't move my lower body at all.

Oh. I get it now. My makeshift circuit that Tohsaka had warned me about using… My spinal column must have burst from the pressure. Dammit… to fail like this…

The grail swallows both of us up, and darkness envelops me.

* * *

My vision fades into focus, my eyes locked on a small white-haired girl, surrounded by strange, wolf-like creatures as snow falls from the sky.

"Il…ya?"

My adoptive sister, surrounded on all sides by these creatures. Obviously, I won't stand for something like that. The familiar forms of Kanshou and Bakuya form in my hands, and I spring forward, reinforcing myself as I go. For some reason my movements feel off, but I shove it out of my mind for now.

I hurl Kanshou, the blade spinning through the air and cleaving through one of the wolves like butter. As the blade flies back towards me, I notice that the wolf is dissolving into a black mist. Guess they're magical in nature, huh? I catch the sword as I close into melee range, assuming the fighting stance I had copied from Archer. I may hate the bastard, but I have to admit his fighting style comes in handy. If it even is his. I bet that idiot just copied it from the Archer of his grail war.

The creatures pounce at me, but each one lunges for the fake openings included in Archer's fighting style. The gaps in my defense close before the attacks reach me, and in short order I've annihilated the beasts. I turn to Ilya, my golden eyes meeting her… blue eyes.

Ah.

This girl… isn't my sister. Ilya's eyes are red.

Why did I even make that mistake in the first place? I remember now… Gilgamesh killed Ilyasviel. He tore her heart from her chest after maiming her and killing her servant. You'd think something like my sister being murdered in front of me would stick out in my memory more.

Speaking of my memory… when had I learned she was my sister? She had never mentioned anything like that during the grail war. Did Kiritsugu mention it at some point? My head hurts… why can't I recall anything before the start of the grail war? There's an empty space where my memories should be, between being saved by Kiritsugu and when I summoned Saber. All my memories of that time… are gone.

I'm brought out of my thoughts by the ground beneath me shaking. I turn just in time to see a massive insectoid creature erupt from the snow behind me. It's got a centipede-like appearance, but with a more defined head and face. The insect has the same coloration and markings as the wolves from earlier, but parts of its body segments are glowing red. The snow it tosses up into the air is quickly reduced to water vapor- this creature is radiating an incredible amount of heat. This thing seems to be of the same ilk as those wolves earlier, so there's no way it isn't hostile. I start to think of how I can fight this thing.

My mind runs across a list of numerous noble phantasms I could use at lightning speed. With the heat it's radiating I doubt a long drawn out fight would end well for me. I need to end this in one decisive blow – that eliminates a good number of my options, including Kanshou and Bakuya, so I let the married swords dissipate. Similarly, I don't have time to get to an optimum range, so my heavy arrows like Caladbolg are no good. This thing won't meet the prerequisites for Fragarach… I don't even know if it has a heart, so Gae Bolg is out as well. Assassin's Tsubame Gaeshi could work, but I'm not sure if I could pull something like that off without breaking my wrists.

Finally it hits me. A nameless stone blade appears in my hand. It has no special properties, but its user was a demigod known for his strength.

"Trace, on. Trigger, off. **Nine Lives Blade Works!** "

I unleash on this centipede thing the same technique I used to protect Ilya from a rogue Berserker – _that never happened so why do I remember it so clearly –_ unleashing a flurry of simultaneous strikes on the creature – one for each segment of its body. The technique had been different when used on a human shaped target like Berserker, but it was still the same technique – the total annihilation of a target by numerous attacks, performed in the same instant.

The creature's exoskeleton cracks, fire erupting from its wounds. However, it's still moving. That shouldn't be possible. I'm certain I hit it with maximum force, so it should have been blown away. I prepare to unleash a second flurry of blows, but the axe-sword has fallen from my grip.

…It seems I overdid it on that attack. My arm is completely broken. I thought I was using safe levels of force, but I must have overestimated my own durability. I have to keep fighting though, so I project a new weapon in my other hand. I need something that can be used with one hand and cut through this thing's ridiculous defenses.

" **Balance yourself for one hand, Durandal**." I intone as I project the blade of Roland. One wish granted by the blade should make it usable in my current state. And now… " **Cleave the enemy's defense, Durandal**."

I circle round the beast looking for an opening within the torrents of flame gushing from its body.

…Seriously, what the hell is this thing?

The insect is the one to make the first move, charging at me, gaping mandibles aimed at my neck. I dodge its mouthparts, but I'm still sent sprawling. It coils and prepares to make another attack. I start to stand up as it rushes forward, when suddenly, in a flash of steel and feathers, a man appears before me, deflecting the creature's attack.

"…Seriously though, what's a Remorhaz doing this far south?" He mutters, tossing his sword into the air. Its form expands into a scythe and he catches it with his mechanical right arm, twirling it dramatically. His white cape flutters in the wind as he glances over at me.

"Alright kid, you can take a break now. Let the grown-ups handle this one."

He leaps into the fray, some sort of bounded field projected around his body deflecting the fire. It quickly becomes apparent that this titanic creature is no match for this single man. I collapse back into the snow, grateful for the reprieve. I'm exhausted. Finally, as I sit there, the reason for my movements feeling off earlier and my attack failing against the creature hits me. My body has been shrunk.

Well, it's more accurate to say I've grown younger. I haven't just lost years of memories, I've lost years of aging too. After a brief moment of shock, I find the words to sum up my predicament.

"…What the hell?"

* * *

 **A/N: So yeah, that happened. Any questions?**

 **"Why does Qrow have a mechanical arm and what the hell is he doing in Atlas!?"**

 **Good question. Let me answer it with one of my own.**

 **Why should Shirou's arrival be the first change to Remnant's timeline as the result of the grail?**

 **In other words, other things have changed beyond his arrival and we'll get into that later!**

 **"Nine Lives Blade Works doesn't work that way!"**

 **Ah but it does, dear reader! Nasu's statement on it is that the version of the technique used on berserker was the "Anti-Unit" version. Here, Shirou uses the "Anti-Beast" version of the technique, similar to the style's origin of slaying the Hydra's hundred heards in one instant.**

 **"WTF is a Remorhaz!?"**

 **It's a monster from Dungeons and Draagons! Feel free to google it and imagine it grimmified if you want.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Here we go! Chapter 2!**

* * *

After finishing off the Remorhaz, I walk over to the kid who was fighting it before I got here. Before I know it, my hip flask is up to my lips and I'm taking a swig. Once again, I wasn't fast enough and someone else almost paid the price. What the hell is the friggen point of a semblance like mine if I always arrive late anyway?

I look him over real quick for any life threatening injuries. Holy shit, his arm's a mess. It's twisted every which way like one of those inflatable tube dudes outside a car shop. Whatever they're called. Damn, that's gonna bug me now. Where was I? Oh, right, injured kid. He's got some burn injuries, but his aura's already fixing them. It's working fast too… must have hella big aura reserves.

I turn to the Schnee standing a little bit away. Younger daughter of the family. What was her name again? Something to do with the color white, probably. She's about the same age as the kid, how come she wasn't fighting?

Wait. That's a stupid question. They both look about eight. I need to remember that being capable of taking down C-class Grimm at age eight isn't the norm. Not everyone can be me. Or Raven. Or Ruby. Or Summer. Or this mysterious unnamed child.

…Come to think of it, I know an inordinate number of hunting prodigies, don't I?

"Hey, Schnee, who is this kid? I gotta call his parents before I take him to the hospital so they know what happened."

Some-Name-That Means-White stands there in shock for a bit before realizing I'm talking to her.

"Uh…um… I…I don't know. I've never seen him before," she replies.

Seriously? Kid goes and breaks his arm into pieces for someone he doesn't even know? Well, I guess he'll be one hell of a Hunter… for however long he survives.

"Well, if that's the case… guess we'll just find out when he wakes up in the hospital or something."

* * *

As I carry the kid back, I make a call back to base.

"Jimmy, it's me. I took care of the target. Got an injured child here, though. Probably some hunter's kid, he had that thing already mortally wounded before I even got there."

The so-called "general" deliberates for a moment before replying. "I assume that means you killed it this time? It's a shame to lose something that unique, but I suppose it's better than it running loose and causing havoc."

What's with that reply? "The hell are you talking about, Jimmy? Remorhazes are a dime a dozen if you go a little bit north. I don't get why you thought it was worth calling me out here. That aside, what were you doing keeping one of those things captive? You know they just melt through anything you try to contain them with."

"….I'm sorry, did you say Remorhaz?"

Shit. "Dammit, did I get the wrong target? I was pretty drunk when you called."

"Yes you got the wrong target!" He shouts, angrily. "How do you even make that mistake!? I told you it was the same thing you captured on Patch two years back!"

Memories flow back to me unbidden. _A black humanoid form, with no discernable features, standing over my nieces with two blades clutched in its hands. Cruel laughter that filled me with primal fear, the type I had never felt before. A desperate fight, and then…_

 ** _"Verg Avesta."_**

 _Pain pain pain… my arm… I cut off his arm, I won… so why is my arm the one that was severed?_

"Qrow."

Ironwood's voice snaps me back to reality.

"Shit. That bastard escaped!? How did he escape!?"

"How did you think your target was a Remorhaz!?"

"Look, I woke up on a Bullhead to Atlas with no memory of the previous three hours and a note that said "kill bad Grimm for Jimmy." Give me a break here!" I shout.

"YOU SAID YOU WERE JUST A LITTLE TIPSY WHEN I CALLED!"

"Yeah! Tipsy! As in, about to tip over and pass out!"

"That's not what that means, you idiot!"

Our shouting match continues for a while. Good times.

* * *

I wake up in an unfamiliar room. The sterile white walls and smell of chemicals…

"A hospital, huh?"

I sit up and move to get out of bed, before noticing I've got a cast on my arm.

"Trace, on."

A quick structural analysis of my arm showed it was healed. It looks like Saber's sheathe – _I never learned about Avalon so why did I know about it –_ has been doing its job. I contemplate using magecraft to break the cast, but that would be difficult to explain, especially for a poor magus like me who can't even perform hypnosis.

I instead step out into the hallway. A nurse notices me and rushes over, so I try to speak to her.

"Hey, I'm mostly healed now, so-"

"What are you doing out of bed! You need rest! Go on, go back to bed!"

I'm promptly rushed back into my room and forced back into bed. This is going to be an annoyance…

* * *

A few hours later, it hits me.

"Wait! Is this that so-called malpractice? Where doctors tell you your symptoms are worse than they are so that they can charge you excess!?"

"Probably not, kid. You took one hell of a beating out there."

I turn to the left as the same black haired man from earlier stepped into my room. He sits down in a chair, taking a sip from his hip flask.

"Speaking of that fight from earlier, none of those Grimm you fought off were humanoid or tried to talk to you, right?"

I blink at his question. Grimm? Is that what those things were called? The way he said it, it sounded like I should know what they are.

"No… I don't think so at least. They seemed to just snarl a lot. All I fought were some wolf things and that big fire bug…"

He sighs, seemingly disappointed. "Damn. Knew it wouldn't be that easy. Hey, forget I asked anything about that bastard. State secrets and all that. You got a name kid?"

"Emiya Shirou. I'll be in your care. Can you tell me where I am? Last thing I remember I was in Fuyuki City, but…"

He seems a little taken aback.

"I've never heard of that city. What kingdom is it a part of?"

Kingdom? Something about him using that archaic term… worries me.

"It's a pretty small city in Japan. A bit north of Tokyo."

No recognition shows on this guy's face. Seriously? Where am I?

"…Kid, did you hit your head? There are only four kingdoms, and Japan isn't one of them."

Well. That's not good.

As I contemplate this new development, the doctor enters the room.

"Huntsman Branwen! I know you want to see if he's okay, but please do not bother my patients while they are recovering! He doesn't have aura like you, so he's almost definitely going to take time to heal!"

The now named Huntsman Branwen's eyes widen a bit at the last part of the doctor's tirade, before he schools his face back into a look of unflappable calmness.

"Yeah, I got it doc. Listen, let me just finish our conversation, then I'll be out of here and the kid can rest."

The doctor grumbles a bit before leaving.

Branwen scratches the back of his head a bit.

"You don't have your Aura unlocked, he says… but I saw your wounds healing themselves, and those weapons you created. If those aren't your semblance, then…" He leans forward as a smug smile plays across his lips.

"How much do you know about magic, kid?"

* * *

 **A/N:**

 **First, Reviews!**

 **Crafted Reality: It's Weiss, not Winter! Also, I'm trying not to exaggerate too much on character traits. So no booze crazy Qrow. Lastly, I didn't take hours to study the format. I just decided to write first person this time, and the fact that I've read more books with stream of consciousness style first person writing recently, it came out like this.**

 **Shadow of a Memory: Shirou is currently eight-nine years old physically. He also has lost a lot of his non-grail war memories, so he has about a year's worth of memories from his grail war alternates all told, along with his memories of the fire and a few days after that. I wonder why that could be?**

 **Sekirei no 109: Reinforcement+adrenaline+the strangely flexible laws of gravity in remnant = one hell of a drug.**

 **Other Guest: Yorokobe, Shonen! Your wish has been granted!**

 **Ok, so, a few other possible questions:**

 **Q:Who's the dude in Qrow's flashback?**

 **A: You haven't read Hollow Ataraxia, have you? It's Avenger, as he appeared when Bazzett had him as a servant.**

 **Q: Will servants show up in this fic?**

 **A: When the idea first came to me I hadn't included that many plans for servants. However, as I developed ideas, I realized there were definitely ways to utilize servants in the fic... without it turning into another one of the random "ololol we holy grail war now" fics. So, yes, servants will make an appearance, but it (hopefully) won't be the same boring slog we've all read before.**

 **Q: How long will this be?**

 **A: Currently 3 parts are planned: Part 1 covering up to volume 3 and mostly following canon, Part 2 getting a little AU, and Part 3 being full AU, off the rails action.**

 **Q: What servants?**

 **A: I won't be revealing too many just yet. Only four servants are planned to be appearing in Part 1, counting Gilgamesh at the beginning and Avenger lurking around. One of them won't even appear till part 1's finale, so I won't tell you in hopes of keeping it suitably epic.**


	3. Chapter 3

**So yeah this happened a bit earlier than expected. Oh well. Chapter 3 is a go!**

 **If you missed Chapter 2 make sure to go back and read it since it got uploaded less than 24 hours before this one.**

* * *

"…and that covers what I know about magecraft. As far as things go, though, I'm a pretty crap magus, so there's a whole lot more I don't know about. I know there's also some other stuff about vampires from the moon or something, but I never really heard much about it other than in passing, so…"

The grey-haired man in front of me shook his head, smiling slightly.

"No, mister Emiya, what information you've given us has been incredibly enlightening. I particular, I'm intrigued by those magic crests you mentioned. Magic circuits passed down through the family… do you mind me asking, what would happen if someone with no blood relation received a magic crest from someone else?"

I shook my head a bit in response. "The procedure would almost certainly fail – possibly fatally. You know how a person who receives a donated organ can experience tissue rejection? The same thing happens here – except since the "tissue" in question is part of the soul, the effects would be far more potent. Even proper recipients of a magic crest have to take regular potions to suppress their spiritual immune system. Spiritual surgery is no joke."

Professor Ozpin frowns a bit at this, sighing. "Just when I thought I'd found an explanation…" He stands up, a small smile replacing his frown. "Well, if you were a little older, this would be the part where I'd invite you to join my school. You did fatally wound a C-class Grimm on your own, after all."

"…By the way, I've been meaning to ask. What exactly are those Grimm things? You guys keep using all these terms, like Grimm, aura, and semblance, and I don't really get it."

Ozpin's eyes narrow a bit after my question.

"You mean you have no knowledge of the Grimm? Semblances, and even Aura I can accept. But you say you know nothing of the Grimm? I find that hard to believe, mister Emiya."

I sigh, staring out the window. Huh. That's a change.

"I think it's fair to say I'm a long way from home… where I'm from, the Moon is intact."

* * *

After a crash course in the history of Remnant, I have the general idea of how things are in this new world.

"So these Huntsmen, they fight the Grimm to protect humanity from extinction?

From where he is leaning on the wall in the corner, Qrow speaks up.

"Plus apprehending criminals, fighting terrorists, and other general badassery, yeah."

Well, all things considered… that kind of sounds like the exact job for a self-proclaimed hero of justice like myself.

"How do I sign up?"

Ozpin chuckles a bit in response. "While I can't degrade your enthusiasm… the hunter training schools begin at age thirteen. You have at least another five years to go."

My fists clench as he says that. Five years. Five years of being unable to legally fight against the Grimm. How many people will die in that time, that I could save if I act? How many families will be destroyed? No, I have to be able to help people.

"That's a scary face you're making there, kiddo," Qrow says, "Look, it's not about how competent you are. You almost killed that Remorhaz on your own, even if it wasn't fully grown yet. But Oz isn't about to start recruiting child soldiers, and if he was, I wouldn't stand for it."

I sigh. "I know. It's just… I'm strong now. So why… why am I still not good enough to save everyone!?"

An image of Ilyasviel's broken body comes to mind unbidden, followed by Sakura bleeding out in my arms after I cut her down myself – _that never happened I know it didn't happen so why do I still feel the guilt for it -_ followed by Saber and Rin smiling as we parted ways. That's right. Tohsaka's contract had been cut off, so she was dead, wasn't she? Something wet drips off my cheek. When did I start crying?

Ozpin claps a hand on my shoulder. "Heroes can never save everyone. But we have to still try to save those we can. You did just that today, and that, at the least, is something you can be proud of."

I cry for a while longer. Stupid eight-year-old hormones.

Save who I can, huh? I think I can at least manage that much.

* * *

I step into Shirou's room for the last time. I've got a flight back to Vale tomorrow, so this will probably be my last chance to say goodbye to the kid.

…At least for a little while. Kid's dead set on becoming a huntsman, so I don't doubt we'll meet again.

He looks up as I enter and smiles that same fake smile that never reaches his eyes. Something like that doesn't belong on a boy his age. He hasn't said what lead to him ending up in this world, but I feel like it's safe to assume he went through hell.

"Hello, Branwen-san."

I give an overly dramatic sigh.

"Listen here, you damn brat. I already told you several times before. It's just Qrow. Not Mr. Branwen, not Branwen-san, not Branwen-sensei. Just call me Qrow. At least get it right this last time."

That gets a small chuckle out of him. It seems a bit forced, but it's less fake than his smiles, so that's a start.

"So I guess that means you're leaving soon?" he says, smile falling away.

I chuckle, scratching my head.

"Yeah, I have to go make sure my brother in all but blood isn't screwing up raising my nieces. Idiot lost his wife a few years back and doesn't seem to get that he's not allowed to waste away and ignore his daughters."

Shirou's eyes narrow and I realize he's looking at the flask attached to my hip.

"Don't get cheeky, brat."

"I wasn't going to say anything."

"Yeah, but your eyes told the whole story. Listen, the doctors should hopefully figure out you're fully healed at some point, after which you'll be sent to an orphanage or something. Just promise me you'll stay out of trouble till you get into a hunter school?"

His face grows a little upset.

"It isn't wrong to help people."

Seriously, this kid's a ticking time bomb. He's gonna get himself killed like this and there's nothing I can do about it since unlocking his aura is illegal for those outside his family who aren't his teacher at a hunter school. Only way for me to do it would be to become his legal guardian or something.

…

I'm drunk. Qrow, you're drunk. This is a stupid idea.

I take another swig from my flask.

No seriously though, I'm way too drunk to make this kind of decision.

Shit, who am I kidding I'm not even buzzed yet.

"…Hey, Shirou… how do you feel about being adopted?"

* * *

I wave to… small Schnee girl, whatever her name was – on the way out.

"You know, if you want to go in and say thanks, this might be your last chance."

She jumps a little as I address her.

"What!?"

"I'm going back to Vale in a bit and Shirou's coming with me. So if you're going to go in and thank him-"

"Sh- sh- shut up! I- I'm just here to… um…"

Her pointless denial is kind of strange. I feel like there's a name for that…

"Listen, small Schnee, I've seen you standing out here thinking about going in just about every time I've come here. Don't tell me you've got other reasons for always being in this particular part of the hospital standing awkwardly."

"Um – er- that is…"

"Yeah, yeah. See you later small Schnee."

* * *

 **A/N: So yeah this one wound up being done super early. It's a bit short, but it completes what needed to be completed this chapter soooo... yeah. I'm going to skip responding to reviews this time since there aren't many to answer. I'll get them next update - which will PROBABLY be next weekend. Probably. Assuming I can : A, get the details ironed out, and B, don't find time to work on it before then.**

 **¯\\_(** **ツ** **)_/¯**


	4. Chapter 4

**And here it is. A few days late, but whatever.**

* * *

"As heiress to the Schnee Dust Company, I would like to thank you profusely for… no, darn it that sounds too formal! He'll think I'm some kind of pampered princess!" Which I am not. Just making that clear. Some would think it was easy, being held to the highest standards possible… Seriously, how could anyone be that dumb?

Where was I? Oh yes, thanking that boy – Emiya Shirou – for his assistance the other day. Has it really been three days? Ah! I'd better apologize for being so late with my thanks as well. I didn't mean to be so late! It's just – the first day I had been trying to find out his name first before speaking with him… and the second day the door to his room was locked and someone else was in there… and the third I was late because of my lessons and I spent a little too long trying to figure out what to say… and now-

"Ah! Sorry!"

My thoughts were interrupted by someone rounding the corner and colliding with me.

"Watch where you're going you-!"

My voice cuts off as I turn to see the one who bumped into me.

"Oh… You're that girl from a few days ago. The doctors said you weren't injured though! Were they lying to me or something?" says Emiya Shirou.

"Yes-! Um, wait no-! I mean-! ThankYouHeiressSorryDustGrimmThankYou-! I mean-!"

He sighs with relief and smiles at me.

"Good, so you weren't hurt. I'm really glad!"

What's with that smile!? He was so injured and yet... how can he smile like that!? It's not the smile a relieved person makes. I've seen that smile, tinted slightly with worry. His smile is… a flawless smile of pure joy.

"Why…?"

He tilts his head quizzically.

"Huh? I did it because I could. It's not wrong to help people you know."

"No… I mean… why are you smiling like that? You were so injured and yet…"

He chuckles a bit.

"Don't worry about something like that. I'm just happy to help someone. In any case, I've got to get going. I've got a flight to Vale that I've got to catch. Maybe we'll meet again some other time, Miss."

I stand there dumbfounded as he walks past me. I don't understand.

I don't understand this boy named Emiya Shirou. Even though we are the same age, he's a total mystery to me. As he walks away I realize something else.

"I never told him my name…"

* * *

As I make my way to the strange flying vehicle – Bullhead, I think they called it – I contemplate my conversation with that white-haired girl. My attitude towards saving her had thrown her off – maybe even scared her. I suppose that's my mistake. I remember now what Tohsaka had to say about that attitude of mine. "Distorted," she called it. I should have taken more efforts to act like a normal person…

Speaking of actions, I really need to get a grip on myself. Whether because of my brain being addled by memories that don't belong there and other memories missing, or because of the splitting migraines I've been getting – there's one again, I wonder how connected they are to these fake memories? In any case, I've been acting more impulsively than I'd like to. Don't get me wrong, I've never really been someone to think things through – but since I arrived in this strange world, I've become somehow even more impulsive.

Take my adoption by Qrow, for example. I should have refused him, I'd do more good as a rogue agent, even if it would be illegal vigilante work. But when he offered I saw the face of a certain former Hero of Justice superimposed over his… It's pretty pathetic of me. Kiritsugu is dead, and the dead stay that way. Unless they become heroic spirits, but my old man was never that famous.

Worse than that was how much I had blabbed to Qrow and his superior about magic. To be fair, it wasn't against the rules to explain details of magecraft to those who already knew of its existence – but I had simply assumed them to be magi from the moment they started asking about it. I don't think I'd ever been that naïve, right?

Actually, the answer might lie in how naïve I used to be. I haven't really thought about it that much, but my body has been reverted back to a younger state. The prepubescent mind tends to be more trusting, or so I've heard.

What's up with that, anyway? Why have I been reverted to such a useless state? It's like some cruel god decided to thrust me into this world where my abilities could help save humanity but torment me with the inability to use them.

Maybe I should just run off and become a vigilante…

No, I already promised Qrow. Despite his unreliable appearance, he reminds me of Kiritsugu for a reason. I doubt he's the kind to let someone he sees as a child run off to save the world.

The likelihood of his interference aside, he has promised to teach me all the details about how the so called "Huntsmen" do their jobs. I might end up in trouble if I run off and do what I want without any proper background knowledge after all. Tohsaka would kill me if I wound up dying or something due to refusing information…

* * *

Before we board the flight I give a call to the man who has been family to me for almost half my life now.

"Hey, Tai."

"Qrow. Mission's over already? When you said you couldn't make the first flight I thought some new development had cropped up but you're only leaving a few hours later… how did it go anyway?"

I sigh pretty audibly at his question. Now that's a sore subject.

"Mission was a total failure. No one's injured, but there's way too many loose ends."

"Loose ends? What kind of mission was this anyway? You better not have been –"

I shake my head.

"Tai, they're not gonna call someone of my caliber all the way to Atlas just to put down a riot. This was way bigger. I say lots of loose ends, but I really only mean one big loose end. That thing we captured on Patch – the one that took my arm – it's escaped."

I can hear the sharp intake of breath from Taiyang.

"What's it doing now?"

"Who knows? Bastard just up and disappeared after he got out. Honestly, I'd be less worried if he was kicking up a storm in atlas or something. At least then I'd know where the hell he is. That Grim… it can think, Tai. Plan even. I'm sure of it, because that bastard was laughing at me when he took my arm off with that cheap shot of his."

* * *

I stand in the doorway of the house, paralyzed. I want to come in and tell Dad that I'm home, and that Yang is in detention for punching another bully through a wall. But I can't move right now, because my whole body is shaking. That monster… it was free. I'm dimly aware that Uncle Qrow said he's coming home because… my mind is somewhere else right now.

 _Yang quietly whimpers "Save me…" as beowolves surround us, and then…_

 _"_ _ **I'm a nice guy, so I'll grant your wish.**_ _"_

 _Even as red blades slash through the monsters I feel the dread in my stomach growing. Because, the thing in front of us is far, far worse than those small fry._

 _He finishes them off. Yang is the first to speak up._

 _"Th-thank-"_

 _"_ _ **Alright, your turn now.**_ _"_

 _The cruelly hooked red blade in his hand lashes out, and Yang goes flying._

 _"_ _ **Huh? No blood? What the hell's up with that?**_ _"_

 _Yang's aura protected her. Mom unlocked it just before her mission… but she was going to unlock mine when she came back and she was never coming back never again so my aura was still locked away…_

 _"_ _ **Oi, kid, hold still so I can make this painless.**_ _"_

 _"Why…?"_

 _"_ _ **Huh? I'm just doing my job, you know. If you want to blame anyone blame that sister of yours for bringing you out here.**_ _"_

 _He steps forward, raising his blade, and then-_

"WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU QROW!?"

I get pulled back to the present, still shaking.

"Hey, I got jealous seeing how adorable those two nieces of mine are. So, I figured, why not adopt a kid of my own?"

Huh?

"Because you are quite likely the worst possible parent for a child! You are a drunk who can't even cook for himself!"

"Nah I'm pretty sure there's worse. I saw that underclassman that dropped out our last year – Roman Toddick or something? The guy who got caught reselling the discounted dust we got at full price, you know him? Anyway, I saw him walking around with a kid and figured that if a convicted criminal could-"

Dad shouts in response.

"That doesn't make you a good parent! Just comparatively less awful!"

A voice I haven't heard before chimes in.

"Um, for what it's worth, I like to think of myself as a good cook… it's a hobby of mine so…"

"See, Tai! Cooking's taken care of! This is Shirou, by the way. Say hi, Shirou."

"Um, it's nice to meet you, Tai… san…?"

"Call him Uncle Taiyang, kid. He's basically my brother, so you better get used to it."

Huh? Uncle Taiyang? Uncle Qrow got a kid? When? Does this mean I have an aunt now…?

"Qrow, how drunk are you right now? Tell me for real."

"Huh? Don't just go making basheless accusations like that, Tai! I'm not even tipsy!"

"I know what tipsy means by your definition! Don't try to fool me! Use that damn breathalyzer I bought you!"

"Sorry, it got taken away by airport security."

"You are a Huntsman! You are immune to baggage searches!"

"That's my story, and I'm sticking to it."

"Goddammit, Qrow! This will end just like Zwei! You handed him off to Raven and then he wound up being my dog!"

"Um, Dad… I don't think you should compare a person to a dog…"

Dad jumps as I say that to him.

"Ruby! How long have you-!? Um-! Please don't repeat those words you just heard!"

"Trust me on this one, Tai! Zwei only took down a deathstalker when I met him! Shirou took down a whole Remorhaz by himself!"

Eh!? Seriously!? THAT'S SO COOL!~

I want to meet him!

"Dad please let Uncle Qrow keep him!"

"Oi, am I being turned into some kind of exotic pet?"

* * *

 **So there we go. A bit of Weiss, a bit of Ruby, a bit of traumatic flashback, a bit of comedy.**

 **I may have gone overboard with the comedic dialogue at the end there, but it's not super out of line if compared to Hollow Ata** **raxia.**

 **I'll answer reviews tomorrow or something. Computer's about to die.**


	5. Chapter 5

**This chapter is pretty damn late, all things considered. Sorry about that. I was planning to write and upload two weeks ago. Then the day I was going to work on it I woke up with Bronchitis. I was pretty much sick until this week, at which point I had finals to worry about. So yeah, sorry about that.**

* * *

As Qrow concludes the… Aria, I suppose? I feel a gentle warmth come over me before it slowly shifts into a cold, hard feeling. Like a human hug had changed into an embrace of steel. It makes sense, I suppose. In any case, I feel a powerful surge run through me, energy coursing through my body. It's a strange feeling, and with a quick structural grasp, I can see that some sort of shroud made of spiritual flesh – the soul – had been stretched across my body.

Qrow whistles.

"Holy hell, kid. That's quite the aura you're packing there. Might even be close to Summer. Nowhere near the level of Beacon's old combat instructor though. Old man Arc was a monster."

How is something like this even possible? The energy doesn't come from my own magic circuits, so where…? I analyze the aura around me more thoroughly. It doesn't work very well; structural grasping isn't intended for use on souls, but I get enough information to tell that it is my soul – but somehow it's… older? And I can also tell that my soul hasn't changed its location nor shrunk in size. It just doesn't make sense! The manifestation of the soul is a true magic, and this strange ritual is duplicating my soul and turning it into a shield!

"Hey, Qrow… Can just anyone off the streets have their aura unlocked?"

He frowns at my question.

"It's kinda weird, kid. Anyone can have their aura unlocked, but it's usually only those with some kind of prior training in fighting that get an amount of aura usable to a huntsman. Sure, there were a few anomalies here and there, and they went on to become powerful huntsmen, but for the most part it's only those who are already decided to be hunters who get their aura unlocked. That aside, having aura unlocked makes Grimm tend to be attracted to you easier. The Grimm are attracted to negative emotions, and you're wearing your heart on your sleeve – and all over the rest of your body. So we don't usually unlock the aura of those who aren't going to become huntsmen."

"What about the police and military?"

Qrow chuckles a bit.

"They're mostly hunter dropouts, to be honest. Those whose aura or skills weren't good enough to make the cut."

"…And how related is aura to success in life?"

I asked, hypothesis gaining weight.

"Usually those with more aura tend to better, but to be frank that's because those without much just tend to die faster. People have tried to talk about destiny and aura and shit before, but I personally don't buy it."

…Yeah, I'm pretty much certain of it now. Just one test to go.

" **I am the Bone of my Sword.** "

I feel my newly unlocked aura surge as I speak those words. I can feel now, that I can probably manifest my Reality Marble spending aura instead of mana.

" **Steel is my body, and Fire is my Blood."**

My aura surges again and I can feel thousands of weapons leaping to my call. It's different from before, I barely have to pull.

" **I have created over a thousand blades."**

This is definitely the feeling. I've never felt it before, but I know instinctively.

" **Unaware of loss-** "

 _Wrong wrong_ _ **wrongwrONGWRONGWRONG WRONG**_

I recoil backwards, nose bleeding. Those words were the right ones, and yet-

"Hey, kid, you okay?"

-and yet they felt so absolutely wrong. Somewhere along the line arriving in this strange new world-

"Kid?"

-My Aria has changed. My mindset has shifted from when I fought Gilgamesh, so the old words I used for my self-hypnosis were no longer valid. Seriously, how troublesome.

"Shirou!"

Qrow's voice brings me out of my muddled fugue.

"Ah! Y-yes?"

"You okay? It looked like you were about to trigger some sort of semblance for the first time, but then-"

"A semblance, huh…?"

That feeling, it was one I recognize, after a fashion. After all, I've faked it plenty of times before. It was the activation of a Noble Phantasm. Knowing that it resembles a semblance being used meant my hypothesis is potentially valid.

In a world like this, it would be remarkably easy to become a heroic spirit. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if just about every huntsman could be summoned in a grail war. They are heroes, after all. Once that idea is acknowledged, the aura ritual starts to make sense.

In short, it's a bastardized version of the third true magic: the materialization of the soul, Heaven's Feel. The general idea is that the ritual summons the heroic spirit of a still living person, using their body as a catalyst. The spirit is then bound to the prospective huntsman, giving them a form of protection along with giving them access to a pseudo – Noble Phantasm.

…Well, that's the general idea, anyway. Of course, I have no way of knowing for sure without the knowledge of someone who had studied the subject. Ilya would know for sure, as someone who had successfully performed an instance of Heaven's Feel, binding my soul to a puppet as the Grail died.

…That didn't happen either. These false memories are pretty annoying, all things considered. As great as Sakura is, she's like a sister to me, so I don't need memories of that kinky threesome one of my alternates had with her and Rider. Saber is the one I love, dammit!

…

Rin. I meant Rin. Tohsaka is the only one for me!

* * *

Speaking of complicated romantic entanglements, Qrow is currently explaining my new familial relation to the Xiao-Long - Rose household. It's pretty damn confusing, all things considered.

"So Yang is my cousin, I get that much. But Ruby is my… Half-cousin-in-law?"

"Or Sister. One of the two."

"I'm sorry? How do you not know?"

"Well, you see… wait, nevermind. Not appropriate for kids."

I sigh at that.

"I know how babies are made, Qrow."

"Really, now? You're pretty grown up, for a kid. Well then, basically it's like this: when a man and a woman and another man love each other very much and happen to get a bit drunk…."

"Yeah, I think I get it. Maybe I should call child protection services and tell them I was adopted by a drunk sexual deviant."

Qrow performs a spit take into his flask and spends the next few seconds coughing.

* * *

As we approach the house, a red blur fires out of the door like a bullet, impacting Qrow directly in the chest.

"Uncle Qrow!"

Qrow chuckles as he twirls the girl in his arms.

"Hey there, kiddo. How've you been holding up?"

"Pretty good! I finally got the twirl down! Take a look!"

She pulls a small black gun from behind her back and lets it unfold into a small, child-sized scythe with a dull green edge. She twirls it dramatically, striking at imaginary foes.

"Hiyah! Wachaw! Pow!"

I blink a bit at the display.

"…what is that?"

"Plastic coated safety scythe. Perfect for training little munchkins in Grimm fighting. It's also got an alternate gun form that shoots foam darts. I got it for her on her last birthday."

That wasn't what I was asking about, though I guess it's nice information to know.

"…I meant the fighting style. It's so… flashy."

Qrow smirks at me.

"Well, yeah, that's the point. Look like a badass superhero come to save the day, and less people panic. That gives you less Grimm to deal with."

I see. I suppose that makes a surprising amount of sense.

"Uncle Qrow, you said a naughty word!"

"Heh, I guess I did. Don't tell Tai, okay? Anyway, you want to introduce yourself, Shriou?"

"Oh, right. I'm Emiya Shirou. I'll be in your care."

Ruby Rose starts at my introduction.

"Ah! U-um, I'm Ruby Rose! I'm younger than you so I don't know how well I can do it, but I'll do my best, Emiya!"

What's up with that strange introduction?

"…do I need to feed him too? I- I've never taken care of a person before…"

Ruby mutters as she paces, before promptly tripping on a tree root. I reach down and help her up.

"Are you okay? You seem a little out of it."

"AAAAh I'm sorry! Even though you told me to take care of you, you end up helping me, Emiya! I'll try harder, so please forgive me!"

"Somehow, I get the feeling something was lost in translation here."

"Huh?"

* * *

As if things weren't bad enough, I totally misinterpreted Shirou's introduction! I thought he was actually asking me to take care of him but he was just being polite. And last name first! I didn't even know that was a thing!

In any case, Qrow asked me to introduce him to Yang when she got back, so now I have to stand here awkwardly while the two converse.

"So, why'd you agree to go with uncle Qrow anyway? I mean, he's a nice guy, but he's not exactly dad of the year material, y'know?"

Shirou chuckles.

"I guess he kind of reminded me of my father. I was adopted the first time around in a similar situation, so…"

"Wait, you've been adopted twice now!? Man… that must suck."

"It's not so bad… I don't remember my first family, so I didn't really lose that much there. And Dad left me his dream, so as long as I can chase that in his place, it'll be like he's there with me. In any case, I got two cute cousins out of the deal, so it's not all bad…"

Yang raises an eyebrow, smiling.

"Oh~? You're calling us cute? Aren't you scared of cooties, Shirou?"

He shrugs.

"I just call it like I see it."

"Hmmmm? Well, if that's the case, who's cuter? Me, or little sis here?"

My face lights up like a Christmas bulb.

* * *

"Who's cuter? Me, or little sis here?" Yang asks with a teasing lilt in her voice.

She winks, an almost predatory smile on her face as she tosses her hair a bit, catching the dying rays of the sun.

This girl is definitely going to be dangerous in a few years.

"Weeellll?~ What's it gonna be, Shirou?" She moves her head closer, smile growing as I instinctively take a step back.

Honestly, if you're going to ask like that… there's really only one answer I can give.

"Definitely Ruby."

Yang just about falls over backwards as Ruby lowers her face, going redder than her namesake.

"Fluttering your eyelashes is pretty cliché, you know? In this day and age most will think it's a clear sign of trying too hard."

"Hrk-!" She staggers backwards.

"Not to mention that winking flirtatiously takes away from the image of innocence, y'know?"

"Gah-!" She takes another step back.

"That aside… fishing for compliments is pretty uncute, you know?"

She bolts out the door in tears. Whoops, maybe I overdid it?

"Waaah! Giiiiil, my new cousin is a buuuullly!"

Huh?

I peek out the door at Yang clinging to a young blond boy. Ruby gasps beside me.

"Gil! I didn't know you were coming over! Shirou, meet-"

"Gilgamesh of Uruk."

I don't bother to conceal the hatred in my voice.

The blond-haired, red-eyed boy chuckles wryly. "I suppose you must have met my… older brother? For what it's worth, I'm sorry for any trouble that guy may have caused you…"

"…If you think I'll forgive you with a half-assed apology like that, you're pretty stupid. Ignoring my own personal grievances, the crimes you committed can't just be wiped away, you know?"

The bastard steps forward, face growing stony cold. He opens a portal and withdraws a sword from it. Caladbolg, not the altered version Archer used, but the original. He quickly slashes off to the side, opening a small ditch in the ground that stretches several miles into the distance.

"I have thousands of weapons like this one and stronger, so please don't try to fight me. I can't guarantee your survival. I'm deeply sorry for _his_ actions, whatever they may be, but there's nothing that can really be done about it."

I chuckle at his actions. Seriously, this idiot is trying to intimidate me? With a display like that?

"Trace, on!"

My limbs are reinforced and I lunge forward, Kanshou and Bakuya forming in my hands.

* * *

 **Oh look it's Ko Gil. Who woulda thunk it!?**

 **Q &A**

 **Q: Why did Shirou reveal details of magic to Qrow and Ozpin?**

 **A: At this point they already knew about the existence of magic. He didn't tell them all the details of his own magecraft, but it's not against the rules for him to explain some details of magic to people who already know about its existence.**

 **Q: You implied that the maiden powers were a magic crest but Magi always keep their magic in the family so no one would do that.**

 **A: The details on that are going to be covered a bit from now.**

 **Q: What servants will be appearing?**

 **A: Well, in case you didn't notice, Gil and Avenger are here. Other than them, some aren't finalized and some are spoilers for plot twists I have planned. That being said, you can expect Jack the Ripper, Astolfo, Cu Chulainn(though not as Lancer), and possibly Mordred. In addition, as of right now I don't have plans to include any servants from Grand Order. I'll probably be sticking to Apocrypha, Stay Night, Zero, and Strange Fake. Mostly. That being said, most of the servants aren't 100% final yet, sooooo...**

 **Q: Shirou is OOC**

 **A: Yup. I am a bad writer. Sorry, I'll try harder. That being said, certain aspects of the OOC are on purpose. There are reasons, I promise.**

 **Q: Avenger is OOC**

 **A: I'm not so sure about that one. Anyone who's played F/HA knows he's not necessarily all evil. However, my inspiration for his actions in the flashback were from the first night he and Bazett patrolled the town in F/HA. He did murder that old dude after he saved him.**

 **Q: Why is Shirou a kid?**

 **A: There are in story reasons that will be covered. As for my personal reasons for writing it this way... it just kinda happened. Sorry. There were reasons in the very first iteration of the story but as the story developed in my mind it mutated so far past that point that it's basically unrecognizable now. But hey, it lets him be childhood friends/rivals with Gil so that's cool I guess?**

 **Q: Pairings?**

 **A: Not really decided yet. Other than Renora. That one's a given. Other than that I'm uncertain so let's see how things develop, hm?**


	6. Chapter 6

The rude redhead charges towards me, two blades materializing in his hands. Magecraft? In this era? It looks like this might be interesting after all. Is this kid another one of those "Immortals"? No… there's definitely something else about him. I parry his blow with Caladbolg, only for it to be knocked out of my hand.

Well, I guess it makes sense for a close combat Magus to have some expertise in human reinforcement. Still, I'd have expected weapons created with Gradiation Air to shatter on contact with a Noble Phantasm – even if they do look like a certain pair of legendary blades. How'd this guy make them that strong?

It'll probably cause trouble if I kill him, so instead I take a nonlethal approach.

" **Enkidu!** "

The chain of heaven is fired from my gate towards him. But…

" **Enkidu!** "

He matches with an exact copy of the noble phantasm, which deflects my attack. Oi, seriously? This kid can make Noble Phantasms with Gradiation Air!? My older self would be offended, but… honestly I'm just impressed. To take the "most useless school of magic" and use it in such a way… I actually think that's kind of cool.

"Oi, King of Heroes. Quit messing around already. **Trace on! Trace Bullet: Continuous Fire!** "

A number of low rank Noble Phantasms materialize and launch towards my position.

" **Rho Aias!** "

I manage to block the attack, but I can't go on like this. I'm not like that older self of mine, who can rain weapons from his Gate without a care in the world. I have to wield them normally, so this guy is a serious threat. I could just ascend to my adult form but… well, knowing that guy, he'll not take this seriously at first, and get defeated by this guy whose abilities are a natural counter to his. I guess there's only one real option left…

* * *

I watch as the child king opens his Gate again. Can this guy only do one portal at a time or something? Anyway, the weapon he extracts is a familiar one. Seriously? Jumping straight to the Anti-World weapon? Aren't we skipping a few steps here? Oh well. It's not like it matters to me.

" **Enuma…"**

When I fought him before, I had no answer to that trump card of his. Now though… I have a weapon perfect for the job. A metallic sphere appears above my clenched fist before morphing into a sword-like shape with a crackle of energy.

" **Answerer!"**

After all, Fragarach is a blade made to counter trump cards. I don't know which of my alternates saw this thing, but it's certainly welcome aid.

The two weapons charge for an instant that seems like an eternity until…

"STOP!"

…Ruby Rose jumps in between us hands outstretched. Shit! How did I forget about the bystanders!? Fragarach shatters into mana as I dive forward.

" **Rho Aias!** "

The shield of Ajax springs to life between Ruby and Ea. There's no way it will block the attack, but I might be able to weaken it enough for her aura to keep her alive.

" **Elish!** "

Ea is discharged, but instead of the expected impact I see that the attack was fired up into the air.

"…Seriously, Ruby please be more careful! If you had gotten hit with that not even those rose petals would have been left, you know! …Well, Rho Aias would have kept your body intact, but you'd still die."

Seriously? He's worrying about someone else? Isn't that seriously out of character for him?

"In any case… Emiya-San, was it? I'm sure _that guy_ must have caused serious trouble for you, if only because he'd get offended at that… semblance… of yours. If there's any way my Gate of Babylon can be used to compensate you for the trouble he caused, please let me know."

I can only stare at this child in response.

Seriously… how did I even decide this child was the King of Heroes? If I hadn't seen him use his noble phantasm, I might have assumed he was someone else! And yet… at first sight, I knew it was him. At first glance, I could tell he was a heroic spirit.

In any case, though…

"…I'm very sorry. That aggression was extremely rude of me. I'm afraid I mistook you for that… older brother… of yours. Furthermore, starting a fight like that near people who could be caught in the crossfire was very irresponsible of me."

I bow in apology. I would never do something like this with his grownup self, but… I think I can make an exception for this kid.

* * *

"So, you two know each other… how exactly?" Qrow asks, pinching the bridge of his nose.

I try to think of an easy way to explain it, especially since magic is kind of on a need-to-know basis, and my sort-of-family-through-ties-of-Qrow's-estranged-sister is still present.

"Basically, I met someone else from his family previously, and… well… we wound up fighting to the death. I managed to take his arm and wound him pretty badly, but I ran out of aura before I could finish him off, so he got away. When I saw Gil, I thought it was the same guy, so…"

Taiyang looks concerned at this. "Isn't a fight to the death a bit extreme for someone as young as you?"

…Right, there's my current physical age to take into account.

"…He was trying to burn my hometown to the ground, and my semblance is pretty much the only thing capable of countering that ridiculous power of his. I had no choice but to fight."

"Right, there's that to talk about as well," Qrow says, turning towards the Boy King to my left. "What exactly is that semblance of yours, Gil? I saw you use it a few months ago, and now, but I still can't make heads or tails of it."

Gil smiles at his question. Oi, don't look so smug, or I'll ask for a refund for my apologies.

"That power is my family semblance. It's a pocket dimension that allows me to store any "treasure" I wish within. In addition to that, any weapon added to my collection becomes a "legendary weapon". For example, a sword that once slew a thousand men becomes a "sword that enables one to slay a thousand men". Of course, at some point along our family line, the Gate of Babylon changed from a place capable of storing all the treasures of mankind to a place that _does_ store all the treasures of mankind."

I stare at the audience's reactions… it seems like none of them actually comprehend what he's saying. I suppose there's only one option.

I assume Tohsaka teaching pose #1.

"Basically, his semblance takes weapons and makes them ludicrously overpowered based on the legends told of them. A sword once said to cleave mountains will be capable of doing so, _whether or not it ever actually achieved such results in the past._ On top of that, the family semblance **Gate of Babylon** at some point wound up considered a "legendary weapon" itself, and transformed into a dimension containing _literally every item ever crafted by human hands_. This, of course, includes every legendary weapon ever used in ages past."

…

A full five seconds of silence passes before our audience simultaneously yells a response.

""""THAT'S SO UNFAIR!""""

Gil's smug smile increases in intensity.

* * *

I peer down at the streets of Mistral, continuing to watch our target. I check the information I was given just to be sure. Pale white hair with green streaks, a fashionably trimmed beard, and, of course, a fully black outfit. That's the one. I send a quick message to my boss before following him.

[He's headed for the alley just past 13th street. We aren't going to get another chance like this.]

I shatter and reappear behind him, careful to disguise my presence with another one of my "mirrors". Of course, Boss has already engaged him, I'm just here to offer support in case he tries to run.

"You really shouldn't have made the mistake of walking into an alleyway alone… Serpent!"

The target raises an eyebrow at my Boss's accusation.

"Hm? Serpent? I'm afraid you have the wrong man, my friend."

My boss just scoffs at his response.

"As if you can fool me. Even with the moon destroyed… you still reek of Vampire."

"Tch. Like I said, you have the wrong man… but, I suppose it can't be helped. I'll make this painless. **Kazikili Bey: Lord of Execution!** "

In that moment, the street beneath Boss's feet cracks as half a dozen wooden spikes erupt forth, impaling him.

I didn't even see it happen. He had no chance to dodge. Oi… just what the hell… is this.

"Ah, right, and by the way, I lied when I said it would be painless. I'm sure it will take hours for you to finish bleeding out," The monster says with a chuckle. "Now, for the other one."

I'm already sprinting down the street when he finishes his sentence.

I stop running when I get to an alleyway a few blocks away. Luckily, with a bit of semblance use, I lost him in the fog that seems to have rolled in. Mistral isn't really known for foggy nights, but I'm not going to look a gift horse in the mouth. I bend over to catch my breath, coughing a bit.

Splat.

Blood. There's blood… on the ground. I just… coughed up blood.

What? I… can't breathe.

What is this fog?

I'm already losing consciousness as I hear a name gently whispered behind me.

" **Maria.** "

And then, there's an explosion of pain throughout my body as everything goes dark.

* * *

 **Sorry for the late chapter.**

 **Shirou's fight got interrupted. How unlucky. And by unlucky I mean predictable.**

 **Also, some nameless(?) characters just got clapped. But they were (apparently) vampire hunters, so I'm sure they're fine. Right?**


	7. Chapter 7

**Going to point out that as far as this fiction goes, just about anything Nasuverse is fair game for spoilers. This includes Tsukihime, FSN, FHA, Apocrypha, and potentially Strange Fake, Extra, and Grand Order.**

 **RWBY too, of course.**

 **Edit: Missed a line break, which probably didn't help given all the POV whiplash this chapter. Sorry about that.**

* * *

I continue to play dead for a little bit after the target steps out onto the street to chase after Mint. Once I was sure the vampire had left, I stopped holding my breath and began to analyse the situation.

Seven large wooden stakes impale my body in different places and at different angles. Two in my gut, one in each arm, one in each leg, and one in my throat to keep me from screaming.

I'm lucky he didn't check my pulse. I would have been in a much tighter spot if he had. The spike in my left wrist is off center, so I can tear the remaining flesh out of the way and move my arm. I wait for the wrist to regenerate to the point that I can use it, and then reach for my left pocket to pull out a backup knife.

Luckily for me, I can make out a "spot" on the spike in my throat. I plunge my knife into that spot and "kill" the stake. It falls to pieces, freeing my head. With the freedom to look around, I set to work on destroying the remaining stakes.

I examine my scroll as I hop from rooftop to rooftop. Mint has stopped moving. Either she's found a good hiding spot or she got caught.

Or she took the tracking chip out for some reason, but she's not that stupid. If her body gets buried or something, that chip is our only way to rescue her.

Regardless, I need to find her, so I head that way.

* * *

…

Wow, this is gruesome. Easily in my top five most gory sights. I eye the twitching mess of meat and steel in the alleyway. It takes me a few seconds to find her neck in that mess, but once I do I jab a syringe with enough morphine to kill an elephant into it.

The syringe bounces off her aura. Her assailant seems to have ignored it entirely, despite dealing this kind of damage…

"Oi, Mint, drop your aura. I can't inject any painkillers into you if you're shielding yourself."

She complies and I use the syringe.

"There, that should help a bit. Now, you need to hold still so I can get these blades out of your guts."

Mint stops twitching, and I set to work removing the multitude of blades embedded in her body.

The wounds are all in the same state of regeneration, and there's no sign of a struggle. This suggests that rather than keep stabbing blade after blade into her, Mint's assailant dealt all this damage at the same time, while piercing her aura.

In other words, her assailant was another being of the same nature as Gilgamesh and that "vampire" I had confronted earlier. How troublesome…

The person I had fought… a vampire that uses stakes as his weapon of choice. Those born of Remnant's four kingdoms would never recognize him, but anyone with my background could easily recognize Vlad the Impaler.

As for the one who attacked my partner, his identity is also almost definitely clear.

An attack against a woman under the cover of night. The total vivisection of the body, including the mutilation of several organs, especially those used in reproduction.

Her attacker was, with very little doubt, the famous serial killer, Jack the Ripper.

* * *

Our ship docks in Vacuo and I breathe a sigh of relief. After this, things should be easier. Having to smuggle Mint's "corpse" on board was pretty stressful. The shipment of a "prototype Atlesian android" to Vacuo raised a few eyebrows, although my alias as "Shuu Yuki" of the Atlas military helped. Senpai said a valid heart transplant arrived yesterday, so we can get Mint on her feet again. It would normally take months to recover from this kind of damage, so she seriously lucked out.

...Well, it was kind of unlucky that her attacker was the type to steal organs, so I guess it kind of balances out…

In any case, I see Senpai waiting for me on the docks, so I make my way off the boat to greet her. Her hair has been dyed white, but she's got the same hairstyle and blue eyes from when we first met, so it's pretty easy for me to pick her out of the crowd.

"Yo. It's been a while. How have you been?"

She smiles in response.

"Much better, now that you're here."

"Heh. Good to know I still have a place in your heart. Who are you now?"

She chuckles.

"Honestly, I'm more worried about my place in your heart. I remember what happened with _that woman_. And I'm "Cynthia Yuki" right now."

I flush in recollection.

"O-oi, you know she was a special case. She could have easily killed us both you know." My face shifts into a smile as I continue. "More importantly, does that name make us husband and wife again? Ah, I'm so happy~!"

She laughs as we begin moving towards the town. We'll need to come back at night to retrieve Mint. "I'm afraid not. We're brother and sister, so no public display of affection."

"Tch. Foiled again."

"However," Cynthia continues, "There's nothing stopping us from doing _whatever we want_ behind closed doors… Onii-chan~!"

Ah! As expected, Senpai remains perfect in all ways~!

* * *

After drifting in and out of consciousness for who knows how long, I finally awaken to an unfamiliar ceiling. I glance around, finally locking eyes with a white haired man. He looks different - white hair instead of black, and his natural blue eyes instead of the brown contact lenses he was wearing earlier - but his facial structure is similar enough for me to recognize him. Well, if Boss Nanaya is here, I suppose I can relax.

"So you're awake. Take it slowly, you've been out for a few weeks. While we can't die, our muscles do still degenerate a bit if not used enough."

I look around for my scroll, not seeing it anywhere. I turn towards him and cock my head a bit, pointing at my throat.

"Right, your scroll. Sorry about that. "Mint Chip" and "Shinji Nanaya" had to disappear in a hurry, so I dropped both of our scrolls in the ocean." He tosses me a replacement, and I catch it, glancing at the username.

Neopolitan, huh?

"I stuck with your usual theme, hope you don't mind."

[It's fine,] I type. [Where are we, though? And what's our next move?]

"Right now, we're hiding in Vacuo. I'll be heading to Atlas soon with my "sister". There's been word of a serious fiasco taking place up there. Another one slipped through the barrier."

[Sister? Am I playing that role this time?]

"No," a woman interjects, "I am."

I turn to see Boss's most common companion standing in the doorway. I see, so we're parting ways again. Those two are pretty cute together, so I can't really blame them for pairing up frequently.

[Oh, so it's her playing your sister… I didn't know you were into that kind of thing, Boss.]

"If it's Cynthia, then anything is permissible," he responds seriously.

"Cynthia"'s response is a blush and a smack to the back of the head. She coughs a bit and turns towards me.

"In any case, we'll be sending you to Vale. There are rumors Gilgamesh was spotted there and we need his assistance in dealing with those "spirits" in Mystral."

[Understood. What about the serpent?]

"Unfortunately, we have to put that on hold again. As much as I'd like to end the bastard, humanity's survival comes before the hunt for Michael Roa Valdmjong."

* * *

 **Oh hey look at that, they actually are okay. Go them!**

 **Gil mentioned "immortals" last chapter. These are them.**

 **Yes, in case it wasn't obvious, the servants who appeared last chapter were Jack and Vlad. I wonder just who their masters are, especially considering that they seem to be working in tandem.**

 **And then there are the mysterious immortals, hunting after a vampire named Roa. One is Neo, but WHO KNOWS who the other two really are...**

 ****[SPOILERS]****

 **(It's Shiki and Ciel fucking duh. With the moon destroyed, vampires no longer exist. This leaves Roa as an untraceable body-hopper, leaving a trail of immortals like Ciel in his wake. Oopsies.)**

 **This was, of course, the (il)logical extreme of Ciel's immortality in Tsukihime.**

 **But wait, I hear you ask, what are Tsukihime characters doing in a parallel world?**

 **All will be explained. In time.**


	8. Chapter 8

**So after the last chapter was uploaded, a bunch of people wrote reviews complaining about neck injury due to POV whiplash.**

 **And yeah, you guys were right. I didn't really notice due to writing each scene individually but looking back at it - rather than grabbing the reader's attention, all those rapid POV and location changes were accomplishing was making it seem like the cameraman had ADHD. Sorry about that.**

 **With that being said, I've decided to split the last chapter in two, with all the stuff out of the main focus of the plot self-contained within it's own chapter.**

* * *

" **I am the bone of my sword"**

The first words of my Aria echo through the yard as the sun begins to peek over the horizon.

" **Steel is my body and fire is my blood** "

My aura surges as I continue, my world slowly taking shape in my mind. It still feels strange to me - everything about Remnant is foreign to me, and yet... there's a strange amount of elements that are remarkably similar. Has there been some kind of cross-dimensional drift or something?

" **I have created over a thousand weapons** "

Alternatively, it could always be some sort of convergent evolution. Perhaps humanity will always build up similar values. Or maybe I was just thrown into a world very similar to my own.

I pause, the aria holding. It seems the first few lines of my incantation are still the same - I can feel **Unlimited Blade Works** humming in response to my call.

" **Unaware of loss-** "

A splitting headache interrupts my chant as a few blades rip through the skin of my left arm. That's definitely the line causing trouble. It may be a bit before I can figure out a good replacement...

In any case, I still need to have a talk with Gilgamesh. That child king still seems so confident, despite the strange situation we've found ourselves in. It could just be his natural confidence, but it could also be he knows more about our situation than me.

I notice the sun has now fully risen. I suppose it's time to start breakfast.

* * *

A few weeks have passed with little of note happening. Qrow probably is't the best possible parent, but considering my only comparisons are the memories of my interactions with Taiga during the Holy Grail War and my first few days with Kiritsugu… he wasn't too different.

Again, I don't remember most of my time with Kiritsugu. But I do remember talking a bit about it to Rin during the war, and as far as I can tell, there's not much difference between his parenting and Qrow's.

I stop musing for a bit and place the last pancake on the plate.

"Qrow, breakfast is done!"

"Haven't I told you, kid? Serve it up first, then I'll come in. I won't let this semblance of mine break another plate."

...right, I forgot again. Qrow's semblance is a real piece of work. I really wish I had some item like the Shroud of Martin at my disposal. It would certainly make things easier on the man. Still, the Shroud was not a weapon, even if I severely stretched the definition. There was no possible way for me to duplicate it.

I serve breakfast on the table and Qrow comes in to eat. There are few accidents that can occur at breakfast that can harm someone with aura, so this, at least, is safe.

"So are we meeting with Taiyang for dinner again?" I ask. It's become a bit of a...tradition? Can you call something that has only been occurring a few weeks a tradition? In any case, Qrow and I have been having dinner on the weekends with the Xiao-Long-Rose family.

"Nah. Today's the anniversary of Summer's death. Tai's not gonna be able to make dinner, since he'll probably be drunk off his ass. Last year I had to make dinner and no one had a good time, so this year the plan was to send the girls over to a friend's house for the day. Tai won't eat anything anyway." I grimace a bit at his reply. He goes to take a swig from his flask, and a copy of Torashinai is fired and knocks it out of his hand.

"It's 8 AM, Qrow. You shouldn't be drinking this early."

"It's just water, kid."

"Liar. I can smell it from here."

"...well, Vodka is Mantlean for water."

My palm meets my face with a loud smack.

* * *

I stir the diced shallots in with the sherry and flour until the drink evaporates. After that, I pour in the beef broth and begin stirring.

French dip sandwiches aren't a very well known dish in Japan, but Archer picked it up during his stay in the Clock Tower.

I dip Roast Beef slices in the sauce, place them on bread, and then pour the sauce itself into small cups.

"Dinner is ready!" I call out, placing the plates on the table.

Ruby and Yang join Qrow and myself at the table. I offered to cook for them, and Qrow agreed, so they wound up joining us. I watch as they take their first bites, judging their reaction aaaand Yang just drank some of the dipping sauce. I guess I should have explained first.

"Ugh! This stuff tastes nasty!"

I chuckle a bit. "You're not supposed to drink it. You're supposed to dip the sandwich in it."

"...oh."

Ruby takes her first bite and stops moving. Chew. Chew. Swallow.

"Shirou! Ditch Uncle Qrow and live with us! This is way better than Dad's food!"

"I think that's a bit extreme…"

Qrow smiles. "Seriously, Shirou. This is good stuff. Worth using some of my alcohol on it."

Ruby starts coughing. Yang's pace of eating increases. "This has alcohol in it!? We're not allowed to drink that stuff, it's bad for us!"

"Don't worry about it. The actual alcohol is cooked out, so it's just another flavoring."

A simultaneous "Oh." comes from both girls. Oi, Yang, how come you sound disappointed…?

* * *

It's a few days later that I manage to find Gilgamesh again.

"Oi. King of Heroes. I've got a few questions, if you don't mind."

He smiles back at me, and it's a surprisingly pleasing sight. I suppose his A-rank charisma isn't just for show.  
"Emiya. How can I help you?"

I pause, trying to think of a way to phrase it.  
"Do you have any idea what happened? After the grail pulled us in, I mean. How did we end up here?"

His expression twists into a grimace.  
"I'm afraid I might know even less than you. I know that I am Gilgamesh of Uruk. I know the information the grail provided me with upon being summoned. However, Remnant is completely different from the information provided by the grail. I don't have any knowledge of my older self's actions from his summoning up to this point. I don't know if that is due to the youth potion or some other force but... honestly, I had no idea you were related to the grail war until you told me."

"I suppose you having all the answers would be too easy," I reply, sighing.

"...Still," he continues, "If we were both pulled into the grail, then neither of us should be standing here. I would have been broken down into mana, and you would have been converted into it's core..."

I know that, dammit! None of this makes any sense!

"To be frank, until you mentioned it to me, I assumed that my older self had wished to be reborn into this world after winning the grail, and then used the **Elixir of Youth** to fool around up until the present era. Now that you mention the kaleidoscope, though... that might make more sense."

I grunt in affirmation. Well, that's one possible lead gone.

* * *

 **Oh hey look there's some extra stuff tacked on because the chapter would have been too short otherwise.**

 **In any case, there have also been some worries about the cast becoming too bloated. I'm not sure if it helps or not, but "Cynthia" and "Shuu" will be the last Type-Moon characters introduced for a while. I promise I'm not just throwing them in for no reason. They have a purpose in this story, but it may take a bit to get there.**

 **As far as POV swaps go, I think I may have learned my lesson after that last fiasco. I'll probably be sticking to one or two POVs per chapter from here on out, without swapping rapidly back and forth between scenes like a whirlwind with ADHD.**


End file.
